Cool It Down

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Man... this new Yeah Yeah Yeahs album is pretty disappointing. I long for the days where the band pumped out rowdy art-punk and no wave bangers that intended to set the dancefloor on fire, but ended up going scorched earth instead. You have Nick Zinner, a creative and occasionally intense guitarist, Brian Chase brings muscle and swagger behind the kit, and Karen O is a truly singular, animated performer. Cool It Down doesn't make any use of that and so we are left with a record that is painfully boring and uninspired. Spitting Off the Edge Of the World was a decent teaser that patiently builds up with epic layers of sunburned instrumentation. The only other track I liked was Blacktop which is a tender ballad with a great melody, and also has these slightly fuzzed, sustaining guitars at the finish that I really enjoy. Other than that, there's absolutely nothing here to get excited over. Lovebomb does not live up at all to its title given that it is one of the most uneventful songs the trio has created. The funk, soul, and contemporary pop elements that were featured on Karen O's collaborative record with Danger Mouse make a return here on numerous tracks, and I just don't think it suits the band's strengths at all. Dramatic strings and pianos underpin Karen O's croons on Burning, but I can't help but feel like the sound of Zinner's guitar would really make this song ignite. I have no problems with band's wanting to change things up and evolve, but might I suggest that it is done in a way that actually makes use of the musical talents of its members.